Petitioners want Centre's intervention in strike call in TN

New Delhi, Mar 30 (UNI) Two anti-reservation petitioners namely Ashok Kumar Thakur and Shiv Khera through their counsel today wrote to the Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to advise the Centre and the government of Tamil Nadu to ensure sincere compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court dated May 31,2006 especially in respect of the strike call given by DMK and its allies for strike in the state of Tamil Nadu on March 31.

The apex court had in its order dated May 31,2006 directed all the parties to immediately call off all agitations, strikes and protests since the issue of reservation for OBCs in centrally run educational institutions of higher education such as IITs, IIMs and AIIMS is under consideration of the court.

Senior counsel Vivek K Tankha in his letter has also said that the call for the strike given by state Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in protest against the order of the apex court announced yesterday staying the operation of the notification providing 27% reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, may create an impression that the constitutional machinery in the state has broken down.

The statement made by the DMK leader is derogratory and contemptous in nature, the letter has further pointed out.

The ASG has been requested to make efforts so that call for statewide strike by Karunanidhi is withdrawn and compliance of the orders of the apex court is ensured.

Yesterday's order is only an interim order and the main petitions challenging the validity of impugned notification issued in January this year shall be heard in the third week of August.

UNI